


Reflection

by jimmoriartyisthebestboss



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Captain America: The First Avenger, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 05:17:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17461337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jimmoriartyisthebestboss/pseuds/jimmoriartyisthebestboss
Summary: Steve Rogers has been injured in a fight. Sam Wilson is forced to talk to Bucky during Steve and Bucky's daily Skype session.





	Reflection

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> First off, this title is taken from the song Reflection by BTS.
> 
> I am so excited to share this with you as I love this fan fiction. I think that there is a fun balance between Bucky and Sam and their friendship.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy!

Sam had given Bucky and Steve shit for ages about what he called their “dates.” Every night for the last two years, the two had sat down at their respective computers and talked to each other. Whether it was about the mission Steve had just been on, sometimes featuring a Steve still bleeding or injured, or the mundane daily life that Bucky had made for himself, they were in front of the computer promptly at seven and talking. The conversations lasted for hours until one or both started yawning and the other insisted they slept. Usually it was Bucky who told Steve to go to sleep, that Bucky would be there the next day. When they weren’t on Skype they were texting. There seemed to never be a moment when they were there to talk to each other.

Which is what lead Sam to being plopped in front of Steve’s computer at seven and staring at the digital face of Bucky. After several long blinks, it seemed to register in Bucky’s brain that the face staring back at him wasn’t the usually smiling face of his best friend but of a very disgruntled Sam. Natasha had dragged Steve into the plane they used, heading back to Wakanda on auto pilot and had deposited Steve in the medical wing. Steve had grumbled about missing Bucky’s call and a few minutes later, and a threat to be crushed by Natasha’s thighs, Sam was shoved into the chair in front of Steve’s computer to talk to Bucky. Until Steve was better that is and seeing as there was no ETA on when that would be, Sam would have to keep Bucky company.

“Where’s Steve?” The first words were drawn out of the silence by Bucky who leaned forward as if Sam had Steve hidden in his pocket.

“Nice to see you too.” Sam says, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. “He’s a bit busy at the moment.”

Bucky leaned back at that, his hand raking through his hair. “Is he…”

“He’ll live. He has a tendency to act like an idiot sometimes and jump into situations he shouldn’t. This time the situation hit back harder than he anticipated.”

The fingers scrape across Bucky’s hair again and he looks to the side. In the background, Sam can see the sun making its slow movement across the sky of Wakanda. They’d be there before it fully set, and Steve would be back with Bucky. The silence stretches again, feeling suffocating and Sam is considering taking Natasha up on her offer of strangulation via thighs when Bucky speaks.

“He’s always been like that.” Bucky’s throat moves as he swallows and laughs quietly to himself. “Steve always jumped first and thought later.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“There was this one time. It was the day before I was meant to be shipped off to England, to the war. I’d been away at training for months, coming back whenever I could. I told Steve to go to the movies and I’d come get him after, so we could be together before I left. Of course, the little shit,” this said with fondness and love, “couldn’t just sit in the movie. Some asshole started making horrible comments about the newsreel, a real coward, and Steve tried to fight him. If I hadn’t showed up he would have been worse for wear. He also couldn’t take no for an answer. Do you know what he used to do? After he was initially denied for service?”

Sam shakes his head, listening intently to Bucky. Call it instinct or his years counseling other veterans, but he felt that Bucky needed this. Bucky needed to talk and to reflect back on his life and experience.

Bucky laughs and shakes his head, leaning forward as if conspiring with Sam. “He lied. On his military forms he kept lying. He kept saying he was from all these different states rather than New York, hoping to God they would take him. They took me right away when I signed up but Steve. He was always so sickly and all I could think as he kept getting denied and more frustrated was thank whoever was out there that he wouldn’t be going. I knew he could take them all down with his righteous fury. But I felt safer with him in a factory job than out on the battle field. Of course, he found his way into the war. I think I always knew he would.”

A quiet laugh escapes Sam’s throat as that was who Steve was. Righteous and willing to fight for what was right even if it cost him his own life. “And? What did you think when you saw Steve all beefed out?”

“That’s a way to put it.” Bucky chuckles before looking back at Sam. It was the longest they had talked without snarking at each other. “I was out of it honestly. They, HYDRA, the Nazi’s, whatever you want to call them had taken me and the Howling Commandos. I think they liked the fact that I fought back. All I kept thinking was I had to keep fighting. Then they started the experiments and I referred to what they taught us if we were caught. Only say your name and military tag number. There were times though when I’d call for him, for Steve. It felt like my body was being ripped apart and I wondered out loud if this was how Steve felt when he was so sick. Then one moment I’m muttering my name and number and the next there he is. He was like a shining light showing up and I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe we escaped, that we lived. Then I fell and…. you know the rest.”

“Did they ever recover your memories?”

“Shuri did. She…kept them there. So, I remember. I didn’t want to forget those who I hurt. Howard… I still can’t believe I killed Howard. He was so good to Stevie. And…. hurting Steve. That’s the most painful thing to think about. I always swore I would never hit Steve, I would never hurt him. And I did.”

“I’m sure he forgives you.”

“I’m not sure if he should.”

Sam sighs and leans forward, elbows braced on the table. “Listen man. We’ve all got regrets. We all did shit that we aren’t proud of. Now not all of us can say we were brainwashed by an insane secret organization,” at this Bucky chuckles and Sam smiles. “But we’ve all done shit we wish we hadn’t. I’m sure Steve is the same way.”

Bucky nods and looks down at his one metal hand, turning it this way and that. “He was always the best thing about my life. From the first time I saw him defending someone who was his size and up against bullies I knew that he was going to mean the world to me. And he has. From the time I met him to now I cannot imagine my life without Steve Rogers. He’s a blazing light in the night sky guiding my way in the world. I don’t know if I am worthy of that light, but I try to be.”

Sam is silent for a moment. “I didn’t realize how much he meant to you. I knew you meant a lot to him, someone to share experiences with but I didn’t know you felt the same.”

“I never get to talk about it. I’m the tougher one, the one who protected him. And in our time, feelings weren’t easily shared. Steve always wore his heart on his sleeve and that got him in trouble a lot. But it’s what I have and always will love about him.”

“God Buck, are you being sappy again?” An amused voice says from the doorway. Steve stands with his arms crossed against his chest, looking down at the screen with decades of love. “I’m surprised to see you two talking.”

Sam laughs as he stands up and walks to the door, clapping Steve’s shoulder lightly. “He’s pretty okay.”

“Yeah he is.” Steve says, making his way to the computer.

“We should be landing soon.” Sam says as a way of goodbye, leaving a now beaming Bucky to his conversation with a weary Steve.

Later, as they descend into Wakanda and watch Steve be dropped off at Bucky’s home, Sam watches from the gangway. Instead of making a comment about how sure Steve was about staying with Bucky, Sam had let him pass and watched instead. He watched as these two men who had lived and fought for so long embraced each other. He watched as Bucky turned his head and pressed a kiss to Steve’s cheek. As they rise into the air he watched as Bucky takes up Steve’s bag in his only hand and leans into Steve’s side, looking up before they entered the hut at the jet as it took off for the capital city of Wakanda. If they could see into the jet they would have seen Sam standing at the window, arms crossed, watching and a smile on his lips.


End file.
